Macro Photography Idea #1: Shoot Flowers for Colorful Macro Photos

They’re colorful, which means you can capture some gorgeous abstract shots.

They’re full of interesting lines and shapes, which helps create powerful macro compositions.

And they tend to come in groups–which means that you’ll always have other flowers to put in the background.

If you’re going to shoot flowers, I recommend you go out during cloudy weather. The clouds diffuse the light. And this results in beautifully saturated colors.

I also recommend you get down on a level with the flowers. This will give you more intimate photos–photos that viewers are bound to enjoy.

Macro Photography Idea #2: Shoot Trees for Unique Macro Shots

Another classic macro subject?

Trees.

Trees are interesting in every season. During spring, they bloom–which means you can capture some shots of budding branches.

During summer, they’re a nice, full green. Get in close for some photos of interesting leaves.

Autumn trees are my favorite. When trees go bright yellow and orange, you can capture some stunning macro photographs. I like to photograph autumn trees on cloudy days. Like flowers, they really benefit from the increased saturation.

Both of these can make for some amazing photos. In fact, if you find a shell, why not shoot both images?

If you’re shooting shell textures, I recommend using an extremely narrow aperture (around f/16 or greater) to create an image that’s sharp throughout.

If you’re shooting a wider shot of shells on sand, you still want a photo that’s sharp throughout. But you won’t be shooting at such high magnifications–and so you won’t need such a narrow aperture (f/8 to f/11 should do the trick).

No macro photography portfolio is complete without a dandelion seedhead shot.

Because dandelion seedheads are the classic macro subject.

Now, to shoot dandelion seedheads, I suggest using a true macro lens.

(That is, a lens that gets you true 1:1 magnification.)

This is because dandelion seedheads are tiny–and you need to fill the frame to get a truly stunning shot.

You’re definitely going to need manual focus for this shot. So switch your lens to manual. Then spin the focus ring until you’re focusing as close as your lens allows.

The best dandelion seedhead macros generally include two things:

First, several simple, straight seedheads. These should be very obvious to the viewer and well-defined. Nothing should get in the way of these seedheads. For instance, there should not be other overlapping seedheads.

Second, a pleasing background. The best backgrounds are simple. If in doubt, use the sky as a background. It never fails–it’s either a nice blue, a pure white, or a beautiful orange.

If you include these two elements, you’re bound to capture a gorgeous dandelion seedhead shot.

Ice offers all sorts of little bubbles, cracks, and lines–which are wonderful for creating macro abstracts. Plus, it often has a beautiful deep blue color.

Now, you can often find the best ice in moving water that has frozen. Check out some small streams or rivers. You’re looking for the biggest bubbles possible (because these make for the best abstract shots).

Once you’ve found some ice, focus as close as possible with your lens. Use a narrow aperture (in the f/8 to f/16 range).

Try to picture the bubbles and cracks as geometry–and create a composition that moves the eye right through the frame.

If you want to keep improving your macro photography skills, then you should sign up for my newsletter! I’ll send you lots of tips, tricks, and secrets, all designed to get you capturing gorgeous photos (as fast as possible!)

Jaymes is a nature photographer and photography writer/editor from Ann Arbor, Michigan. His articles have been featured by a number of leading photography publications, including Digital Photography School, Expert Photography, and PetaPixel. To read more about him, click here!